What do volunteers from Newtown Youth & Family Service, an administrator at The Resiliency Center of Newtown, a local state representative, an All-Star bus driver, and two Newtown Bee staff members have in common? They were all among the first graduating class certified in mental health first aid (MHFA).

Nearly two dozen residents and local workers completed the first of several planned MHFA classes being underwritten by the Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation, and supported by the Connecticut Community Foundation and the Connecticut Department of Health.

A second round of mental health first aid certification is being hosted on Saturdays, February 28 and March 7. Participants must attend both 8:30 am to 12:30 pm sessions at Town Hall South, 3 Main Street.

The class is free to people who live and work in Newtown with support provided by The Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation. It is being presented by Northwestern Connecticut Area Health Education Center (AHEC).

CT AHEC Executive Director Tricia Harrity told The Newtown Bee that mental health first aid teaches non-mental health professionals how to help someone who is experiencing a mental health illness or challenge. The eight-hour certification course features the five-step action plan known as ALGEE, an overview of local mental health resources, and a resource manual.

State Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) was among those certified in the first MHFA class, and said he learned a lot.

“After completing the Mental Health First Aid training course, my understanding of how to identify and help individuals in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help resources has definitely grown,” Rep Bolinsky said.

“It seems like so many of us, our friends, family members and co-workers lead such hectic, complicated lives and we all cope with life’s stresses, loss, fear and negative emotions differently. It’s important that we’re able to identify folks that may be at risk and be able to offer help in appropriate and non-stigmatizing ways,” he added. “The 5-step ‘ALGEE’ formula makes the process simple.”

The local lawmaker said he was planning to also take the Youth version MHFA certification course and encourages any interested Newtown neighbors to consider doing the same.

The MHFA movement began in Australia and has migrated around the globe in recent years along with its cute namesake mascot, a koala bear appropriately named ALGEE.

The adult program is open to anyone 18 years and older who wants to learn how to help a person who is experiencing a mental health illness or challenge and wants to help eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness.

There is also a separate training course available specifically for interacting with youth populations.

Group Instruction Available

Ms Harrity is also available to conduct additional adult mental health first aid training at local companies, and for other groups in the region.

“Typically there is a $50 participant fee or a $1,125 agency fee for the training,” she said in an e-mail response for comment. “I am able to offer the training free of charge for groups composed of people who live and work in Newtown based on funding AHEC received from The Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation.”

Anyone interested can find a list of AHEC’s upcoming MHFA trainings at nwctahec.org.

Those completing the eight-hour certification course learn how to recognize the symptoms of mental health problems, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide the individual to professional help, when appropriate.

Adult MHFA training aims to demystify mental illness, increasing mental health literacy, and decreasing the stigma associated with mental illness.

Participants develop a basic understanding of what different mental illnesses and addictions are, how they can affect a person’s daily life and what helps individuals experiencing these challenges get well. Participants learn about depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis, and substance use disorders.

Participants do not learn to diagnose, nor how to provide therapy or counseling; rather, participants learn a five-step action plan to support an individual developing signs and symptoms of mental illness or in an emotional crisis, Ms Harrity explained.

Before calling, class hosts should decide if they prefer training to be one eight-hour session or two four-hour sessions. Seating is limited to 25 participants

The separate youth mental health first aid eight-hour certification course introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds an understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge.

Youth Course Criteria

Youth mental health first aid training is recommended for the following individuals:

*Adults who interact with adolescents;

*Teachers, coaches, mentors, after-school providers;

*Juvenile justice professionals;

*Foster care professionals;

*First responders;

*State policymakers, volunteers, and the general public; and 

*Older adolescents to encourage youth peer to peer interaction.

The course teaches participants the risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges common among adolescents, including anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating disorders, AD/HD, disruptive behavior disorders, and substance use disorder.

Youth mental health first aid uses role playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis; select interventions and provide initial help; and connect young people to professional, peer, and self-help care.

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook School shooting, President Obama, Governor Malloy and other national, state and local leaders are calling for the widespread implementation of youth mental health first aid training among adults who regularly interact with youth to provide a network of protective factors for our youth.

Anyone hosting a smaller group should ask about per participant pricing. All participants receive a Youth Mental Health First Aid Participant Manual.

Anyone interested in scheduling either an adult mental health first aid training, or youth certification program should contact Alex Pizzola, Northwestern CT AHEC AmeriCorps member at or 203-758-1110, extension 10, for more information.apizzola@nwctahec.org

To register or for additional information for the February 28-March 7 session at Town Hall South, click through the link within the story above, or call 203-758-1110, extension 11.